JOHNNY LUJACK

First of many great Pennsylvania quarterbacks

Johnny Lujack was one of the great T-formation quarterbacks, led Notre Dame to three National Championships, won the Heisman Trophy and AP male athlete of the year, and was a top player for the Chicago Bears.

Lujack was born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, on January 4, 1925. He starred in in several sports for Connellsville High School, including quarterbacking the football team. He was nearly the first person from Connellsville to get appointed to West Point Military Academy, but turned it down when he was offered a scholarship to Notre Dame, a long time dream of his.

In his sophomore year at Notre Dame, he took over at quarterback when Heisman Trophy winner Angelo Bertelli joined the Marines, won his first start with a 26-0 win over a powerhouse Army team, and eventually his first national championship. He also played halfback, defensive back, kicked extra points, and punted. Even in the era of two-way players, that was a lot. But then, he also lettered in four sports (football, basketball, baseball and track), one of just a few Notre Dame students to ever do that.

He left Notre Dame to serve nearly three year in the U.S. Navy, (this was during World War II) and returned in time for the 1946 season. He led the team to another national championship, making his most famous play while playing defensive back. He made an open field tackle of "Doc" Blanchard to save a touchdown and an undefeated saeson in a scoreless tie with Army. He was named an All-American, but finished third in the Heisman balloting.

He won the Heisman Trophy the next year, as he led Notre Dame to another undefeated season and another national championship. He also was named the AP male athlete of the year, beating out the Yankee's Joe DiMaggio.

Lujack was chosen in the first round of the NFL draft by the Chicago Bears, and played quarterback for them for four years. He led the team in scoring every year and was selected to the Pro Bowl his last two years. In 1949 he threw for a record 4468 yards in one game, at a time when the passing game was not used like it is today. After his retirement he served as a backfield coach for two seasons, and opened a Chevrolet dealership in Davenport, Iowa. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1960. He was also chosen as one of the 100 best college football players of all time.

Lujack was always the first to say that any honors and success he achieved was the result of the teammates around him. An example of that was seen by his home town in 1994 when they tried to honor him as a home town hero. He would not come to the celebration unless it was a celebration of all of his teammates on the undefeated 1941 Connellsville High School football team. As always with Lujack, he was a team player and a class act.